Galesburg Cross Country: Goals up to runners

Wednesday

GALESBURG — Galesburg High School’s boys and girls cross country teams had their first official practice of the season Wednesday morning at Lake Storey.

And the Silver Streaks didn’t hear much from Craig Hillier, the boys’ coach, and Jody Chapman, who guides the girls, about their respective teams’ goals.

That’s because the veteran coaches want their student-athletes to take matters into their own hands.

“We have no goals,” Hillier said. “That’s something they’re going to have to come up with for themselves individually and as a team. They’re going to have to make their own vision statement of what they want to accomplish.”

“It becomes more meaningful if they have ownership in it,” Chapman said. “We will just go out there and see what they can do. It’s kind of up to them.”

The Streaks put in a lot of work in the summer months preparing for the season. Unlike in years past, they hit the road together. Galesburg spent three days at a Bridge 23 running camp in Norwalk, Iowa.

According to its website, “Bridge 23 is a 23-acre property located 12 miles from the West Des Moines Jordan Creek Mall/George Flagg Parkway exit. The property is highlighted by a 5-acre pond in the center, which is ideal for running with a mile grass loop around the pond. It also is at the intersection of three gravel roads with rolling hills.”

“I think it just gave them a chance to have no distractions and bond as a team,” Chapman said of the summer camp. “A lot of different sports go to team camps and we hadn’t done it for cross country. It was out of the norm.

“Most of the team went and I think it had a lot of benefit. I feel we’ve had a really good summer.”

Hillier thinks the same thing.

“Of the summers we’ve had this is the most committed and accountable that our kids have been,” Hillier said. “Usually, they are wishy-washy.”

Like always, the Streaks were challenged with summer mileage goals but T-shirts hadn’t been on the line in the past.

“We’ve always given them a goal but we’ve never put it on a shirt and when you put a T-shirt on it then it gets a little more important,” Chapman chuckled. “It was a productive summer with mileage and I’m excited to see how that will carry over into the season.”

“That first meet will be the end of our summer phase so we will total up all their mileage and hand out shirts,” Hillier said. “They’ll get a different color shirt depending on how many miles they put in.”

When Chapman and Hillier sit down to do the figuring they’ll be holding pieces of paper in their hands. They’re doing things a little more old-school, if you will.

“We want kids to be held more accountable,” Hillier said. “We’ve tried different things in the past and wouldn’t get the feedback we wanted. We’ve done it online but we went to all paper this year.”

“We’ve gone to everything can be on your phone and sometimes the paper route is the best route,” Chapman said.

Senior Kaitlyn Pendergast will be the top runner for Galesburg’s girls. As a sophomore, Pendergast crossed the finish line in 18:02 for 35th place in the Class 2A girls state meet at Peoria’s Detweiler Park.

“Kaitlyn has been a solid No. 1 runner for us and we have three juniors that will have a nice spit for our second, third and fourth runners and then our fifth runner will be up for grabs," Chapman said. “We will see who has done the work this summer and earned it.”

Hillier is counting on seniors Aaron Burrows, Mark Forester and John Peterson to provide leadership. Juniors Ben Cermak and Jared Shipp, as well as sophomore Alex Buchen should also contribute.

“I really don’t now who our No.1 runner will be for the first meet at this point,” Hillier said. “I have a good idea who it might be but it’s not who people are expecting, I don’t think.”

Boys cross country

Aug. 23 – at Moline, 4:30 p.m.

Aug. 27 – at Annawan/Wethersfield, 5 p.m.

Sept. 1 – Streaks Invitational, 9 a.m.

Sept. 8 – at Peoria First to Finish, 11 a.m.

Sept. 15 – at Dunlap Invite, 9:30 a.m.

Sept. 22 – at East Peoria Invite, 9 a.m.

Sept. 29 – at Peoria Invitational, 9:45 a.m.

Oct. 11 – at Western Big 6, 4:30 p.m.

Girls cross country

Aug. 23 – at Moline, 4:30 p.m.

Aug. 27 – at Annawan/Wethersfield, 5 p.m.

Sept. 1 – Streaks Invitational, 9 a.m.

Sept. 8 – at Peoria First to Finish Invite, 10:20 a.m.

Sept. 15 – at Dunlap Invite, 9:30 a.m.

Sept. 22 – at East Peoria Invite, 9 a.m.

Sept. 29 – at Peoria, 9 a.m.

Oct. 11 – at Western Big 6, 4:30 p.m.

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